Located in the heart of the beautiful Tennessee Valley, Chattanooga is a small industrial city rich in history. It is becoming well known today for its commitment to sustainable economic growth and quality of life. Perhaps nowhere in the country has a city undergone as dramatic an improvement as that experienced by Chattanooga, a city named America's most polluted by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1980. The privately-funded Vision 2000 program was initiated in 1982 to revitalize the city's riverfront and downtown by the year 2000 and change its grimy image. And change it did; by the twenty-first century Chattanooga is now one of the cleanest U.S. cities, known especially for its breathtaking beauty and natural attractions. Pride in this change is evident in more recent downtown revitalization projects, including the citywide 21st Century Waterfront Plan. Today's Chattanooga boasts a vital and diverse economy, rich cultural history, and gleaming new downtown attractions loved by residents and visitors alike.